Beverage container holder

Abstract

A beverage container holder having a receptacle, gripping members, and a membrane is disclosed. The membrane is disposed in openings located between a sidewall of the receptacle and the gripping members. Living hinges are integrated into the gripping members, which allow the gripping members to flex and provide a gripping force on a beverage container that has been placed into the beverage container holder in order to provide a more stable and secure placement of the container. The receptacle and gripping members are manufactured in one step process, preferably an injection molding process, and are composed of a material having a low coefficient of friction, preferably a hard plastic, which allows for the easy placement or retrieval of a beverage container. The membrane is overmolded onto the receptacle and gripping members and is preferably composed of a flexible material such as a soft plastic or rubber.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A holder for a beverage container comprising:
 a receptacle having a base and a sidewall extending upwardly from the base; 
 a gripping member extending upwardly from the base alongside the sidewall and having a connecting portion joined to the base, a contact portion, and a living hinge joining the connecting portion and the contact portion; and 
 a membrane connecting at least a portion of the gripping member with the sidewall, the membrane having lower rigidity than the receptacle and gripping member and flexing to permit relative movement therebetween. 
 
     
     
       2. The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the living hinge resiliently biases the gripping member toward an interior of the receptacle when the gripping member is urged toward an exterior of the receptacle by insertion of a beverage container into the receptacle. 
     
     
       3. The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle and gripping member are made from thermoplastic polyolefin. 
     
     
       4. The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is made from a thermoplastic elastic olefin. 
     
     
       5. The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane also forms a layer on a top surface of the base of the receptacle. 
     
     
       6. The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle and the gripping member are formed as a single component. 
     
     
       7. The holder of  claim 6 , wherein the receptacle and the gripping member are formed by an injection molding process. 
     
     
       8. The holder of  claim 1 , wherein the membrane is overmolded onto the receptacle and the gripping member. 
     
     
       9. A method for producing a holder for a beverage container comprising:
 forming a receptacle, the receptacle having a base and a sidewall extending from the base and defining an opening; 
 forming a gripping member having a connecting portion, a contact portion, and a living hinge joining the connecting portion and the contact portion, the gripping member attached to the base of the receptacle by the connecting portion and extending into the opening; and 
 forming a membrane disposed in the opening and connecting the sidewall of the receptacle to the gripping member, the membrane having lower rigidity than the receptacle and gripping member. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the receptacle and the gripping member are formed in a single step. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the receptacle and the gripping member are formed by an injection molding process. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the receptacle and gripping member is made from thermoplastic polyolefin. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the membrane is overmolded onto the receptacle and gripping member. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the membrane is made from thermoplastic elastic olefin. 
     
     
       15. A beverage container holder comprising:
 a receptacle having a base and a sidewall extending form the base; 
 a grip extending from the base alongside the sidewall and having a connecting portion joined to the base, a contact portion, and a living hinge joining the connecting and contact portions; and 
 a membrane connecting a portion of the grip with the sidewall, having lower rigidity than the receptacle and grip, and flexing to permit relative movement therebetween.